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Summary

An extrapolation of the Roman military road eastwards from the fort at North Tawton takes it from a crossing of the River Yeo eastwards towards Gunstone Cross and which survives in the line of the modern road.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD (Roman - 43 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Salvatore, J. P. + Kaye, S. + Stocker, S. + Toller, H., 2019, Observations on the Roman Road between Exeter, North Tawton and Okehampton, 306-307: Fig 10 (Article in Serial). SDV364830.

The route of Roman road (SDV125746) appears on Lidar at SX768995 and then again some 400m further east at SX772994. An extrapolation of its alignment just a short distance further east would take the road to a crossing of the Yeo at West Keymelford where a modern road makes the same crossing at SX777995. If this modern road were to be reprising a Roman route then this might explain the straight alignment for the initial 1.6km between Keymelford and Potshop Cross at SX794992, whilst a further eastward extrapolation from Potshop Cross might point to a continuation at least as far as Gunstone Cross at SX806991; this is the predicted course of the road although supporting evidence is absent.
Between Gunstone Cross and towards the modern A377 Crediton to Exeter road there is no firm evidence. Toller believed that he could detect a Lidar signature for the road heading from Gunstone Cross south-eastwards to a point of the A377 between Newton St. Cyres and Half Moon Village but fresh examination by Kaye has rejected this. Therefore, apart from unconfirmed observations of the road in the area around Uton (Margary, 1973) there is no conclusive evidence for the road line east of Gunstone Cross.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

Kaye, S. + Pamment Salvatore, J. + Stocker, S. + Toller, H., 2022, Reappraisal of proposed Roman Road from Gunston Cross to Half Moon (Newton St Cyres) (Un-published). SDV364890.

In their paper, published in 2019, Salvatore et al noted the straight sections of the Roman military road from the fort at North Tawton continuing from a crossing of the River Yeo at Keymelford eastwards towards Gunstone Cross, which survived in the line of the modern road. The onward course of the road though, originally proposed by Toller, was seen as less convincing. However, examination of newly available LiDAR data, aerial photos and satellite imagery has now confirmed the existence of a probable Roman road from Gunstone Cross to Half Moon, which is visible as crop marks and earthworks and followed in part by field boundaries and modern roads [see MDV132948].

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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